Water in Himalayan Towns: Lessons for Adaptive Water Governance

Increasing urbanization and changing climate are two critical stressors that are adversely affecting the biophysical environment of urban areas in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. The book discusses various choices and options – from demand management to supply enhancement, understanding ecological footprints of towns to managing water at a bioregional scale. In doing so, it is vital to address issues of equity and empower local institutions in managing water. The focus for the future must be on building urban resilience by strengthening the adaptive capacities of affected communities while also understanding the limits to adaptation.

In Focus – a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector.

Editorial: Mapping challenges for adaptive water management in Himalayan towns

Anjal Prakash and David Molden

Urbanisation and water insecurity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Insights from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan

Sreoshi Singh, S. M. Tanvir Hassan, Masooma Hassan and Neha Bharti

Urban water resilience in Hindu Kush Himalaya: issues, challenges and way forward

Vishal Singh and Anvita Pandey

Water availability, consumption and sufficiency in Himalayan towns: a case of Murree and Havellian towns from Indus River Basin, Pakistan

Zeeshan Tahir Virk, Bilal Khalid, Abid Hussain, Bashir Ahmad, Salaar Saeed Dogar, Nelufar Raza and Bilal Iqbal

Dynamics of urban water supply management of two Himalayan towns in India

Neha Bharti, Neha Khandekar, Prateek Sengupta, Suruchi Bhadwal and Ishaan Kochhar

Perform or wither: role of water users’ associations in municipalities of Nepal

Sreoshi Singh, Krity Shrestha, Menaka Hamal and Anjal Prakash

Water management systems of two towns in the Eastern Himalaya: case studies of Singtam in Sikkim and Kalimpong in West Bengal states of India

Ghanashyam Sharma, Chhayavani Namchu, Kalsang Nyima, Mahindra Luitel, Sreoshi Singh and Chanda Gurung Goodrich

The pain of water: a household perspective of water insecurity and inequity in the Kathmandu Valley

Olivia C. Molden, Anoj Khanal and Nita Pradhan

Conundrum or paradox: deconstructing the spurious case of water scarcity in the Himalayan Region through an institutional economics narrative

Rinan Shah and Shrinivas Badiger

Adapting to urban flooding: a case of two cities in South Asia

Ismat Ara Pervin, Sheikh Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Mani Nepal, Abdul Kalam Enamul Haque,

Humayun Karim and Ganesh Dhakal

Equity impacts of informal private water markets: case of Kathmandu Valley

Aditi Raina, Yogendra Gurung and Bhim Suwal